The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pennisetum purpureum, commonly called napiergrass, hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name ‘Prince’. This cultivar is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use, and for use as a potted plant.
Seeds of two napiergrass accessions, designated Anae Roxo CNPGL, were received from CENARGEN/EMBRAPA in Brazil in April 1996. These were grown under quarantine in the greenhouse during the winter of 1996-97. They segregated for a wide variety of green and various shades of purple plants with a range of vigor. The most vigorous purple pigmented plant in each accession, given the Tifton numbers N240 and N241, were selfed. Seeds of these plants were planted in the field in 1997. The progenies from these selfed plants again segregated for color and vigor in the field. Three vigorous plants, from each accession, with different shades of purple pigment development were vegetatively propagated for further evaluation in a napiergrass maintenance nursery in 1998. In 1999, two accessions, N241-5 (dwarf) and N241-8 (semidwarf) were selected for further evaluation.
In 1999, multi-plant observation plantings were made at Tifton (USDA Zone 8a). Replicated tests were planted in 2000 at Blairsville (USDA Zone 6b), Griffin (USDA Zone 7b), and Savannah (USDA Zone 8b). Plantings were made at Tifton in 2001 and 2003. All test sites except Tifton were irrigated. Plants in Blairsville and Griffin did not recover in 2001 following temperatures as low as −17° C. Plants in Tifton and Savannah survived when exposed to low temperatures of −6° C. and −8° C., respectively.
In 2003 the name ‘Prince’ was assigned to N241-8.
‘Prince’ has been asexually propagated at Tifton by stem cuttings since 2002. Stem cuttings with two nodes tended to produce the most shoots, although somewhat reduced in vigor, based on three-week plant heights. The characteristics of the cultivar have been stable and reproduced true to type in successive vegetative generations.
‘Prince’ has been compared to Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ (unpatented) and to Pennisetum purpureum ‘Princess’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/151,587). The ‘Prince’ plant is almost twice as high as ‘Rubrum’ and ‘Princess’. ‘Prince’ has a similar base circumference and similar number of tillers to ‘Princess’, but has almost twice the top canopy spread (diameter of arching leaves at top of plant). The ‘Prince’ plant has a much greater base circumference, top canopy spread, and more than twice the number of tillers as ‘Rubrum’. ‘Prince’ has significantly longer leaves that ‘Princess’ and ‘Rubrum’, with similar leaf width to ‘Princess’, but much wider than ‘Rubrum’.